/m/bud_selig

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If I was at the park and they showed his face on the screen I'd boo very loudly. He has caused a lot of harm over his years. The people who should love him are the owners as he made them obscene amounts of money. That's it.

Agreed, #3. This ain't gonna be a Chipper or Mo-type farewell tour. Bud's gonna get booed everywhere he goes. And his clownish mug, complete with shrugging shoulders from the All-Star tie, will be shown over and over again.

I was just a kid at the time, so it's in that weird spot of "too long ago for me to remember, but not long enough ago for it to be a firm part of baseball history," but I've always been surprised that his role in the Owner's Collusion of the late 80s wasn't a bigger scandal.

Reading back on it now, it just makes me think "Shouldn't those owners have been black-balled for life? How is it possible that they ever got another job in baseball ever again--much less the commissioner's job!?!"

“I’ve done this now for a long time, 22 years,” Selig said. “It will be 23 by that time. Other than [Kenesaw Mountain] Landis, nobody has ever done this job longer. I’m going to be 80 years old next July 30. And I really do want to teach ... and I want to write a book, and I want to do it while, God willing, my health is good and my mind is still reasonably active, although many would disagree with that.”

That idea came about, he said, in part because several clubs reached out to him after his announcement and asked to honor him, but also because [Mariano] Rivera’s farewell tour got Selig to thinking about ways to connect with people who love baseball.

You read it here first: Bud Selig will be named MVP of the All-Star Game.

Washingtonians will always thank Selig for helping bring MLB back to D.C., while simultaneously cursing him for saddling the Nats with a terrible TV deal merely to appease Cuban Pete at the other end of the Parkway.

Reading back on it now, it just makes me think "Shouldn't those owners have been black-balled for life? How is it possible that they ever got another job in baseball ever again--much less the commissioner's job!?!"

As a fan of the Expos forgiveness is a hard thing to have. That franchise was screwed royally by the Bud era - first the 94 strike, then letting Loria run it into the ground, then the bizarre MLB owning the club so Loria could get richer, then moving to Washington. Ugly disaster all around.

Mix in how he still claims that it is impossible for him to have known there was a steroid/PED issue pre-98 (heck, I think he still claims pre-Bonds 2001) and I think it is a total joke how he'll end up in the HOF a few minutes post-retirement. Any club dumb enough to do a 'Bud Selig day' outside of maybe Milwaukee (he did bring the team back there) deserves to be embarrassed by the booing that will occur.

He has his faults and his mistakes but I think the scales tilt more positive than negative when it comes to Bud.

I know that some on this website feel this way, and that you are not the only one. I know that we've had threads about this before. Still, I don't understand this point of view, not at all.

Have we already forgotten about the debilitating 1994 work stoppage, which came around in large part because Bud wanted to cripple the player's union? Have we already forgotten about the 2001 contraction announcement, made merely days after the end of one of the greatest World Series of all time, and the damage that did to the fan base in Minnesota and Montreal? Have we forgotten about Bud allowing Loria to run the Expos into the ground in the early 2000s (coke to John Northey)? Have we forgotten about Bud dismantling the office of league president and introducing interleague play, which has damaged the popularity of both the All Star Game and the World Series? Have we forgotten about the moronic way the 2002 All Star Game ended?

Yes, baseball revenues increased dramatically between 1993 and 2013. Yes, baseball now has an excellent online presence through MLB.TV. Yes, it is now easier to follow baseball closely than it has ever been in the past. However, I don't see how you can attribute any of that to any decisions or leadership that Selig showed. The exact same is true of the NFL, NBA, NHL and EPL, and is almost certainly a product of the expansion of cable and satellite television, as well as the development of the internet.

Frankly, the closest thing to a positive development I can think of in Selig's favor is how he avoided a work stoppage in 2003. If there is a stoppage in 2016 due to the A-Rod fiasco, however, I think that wipes that point out completely.

Just watch -- Selig will try to set up a Rivera-style retirement tour of all 30 parks for himself throughout the year. I hope to hear choruses of boos and see row after row of Expos hats.

I don't see how you can attribute any of that to any decisions or leadership that Selig showed. The exact same is true of the NFL, NBA, NHL and EPL, and is almost certainly a product of the expansion of cable and satellite television, as well as the development of the internet.

Note that most of the world simply can't get legal streamed EPL.

Without the example of MLB.TV I'm not sure the others would have realized the opportunity. Because these things don't happen automatically (just try to get streamed HBO or something like that).

While Selig's machinations eventually paved the way for the Washington Nationals, they also helped create Evil Empire II by enabling John Henry to ditch the Marlins and take over the Bosox to provide an AL East foil for the Yankees after the Orioles proved unworthy. Alas, Bud didn't realize it would distort MLB by focusing on two teams at the expense of the 28 others.

Have we already forgotten about the debilitating 1994 work stoppage, which came around in large part because Bud wanted to cripple the player's union? Have we already forgotten about the 2001 contraction announcement, made merely days after the end of one of the greatest World Series of all time, and the damage that did to the fan base in Minnesota and Montreal? Have we forgotten about Bud allowing Loria to run the Expos into the ground in the early 2000s (coke to John Northey)? Have we forgotten about Bud dismantling the office of league president and introducing interleague play, which has damaged the popularity of both the All Star Game and the World Series? Have we forgotten about the moronic way the 2002 All Star Game ended?

Hell, No! Never forget!

Many of the plusses of the Selig era are accidents of timing. He was lucky enough to have his tenure overlap with the revenue surges that came from Cable TV, the Internet & team-owned regional sports channels, but did little other than not get in the way of the flow of dough. Where he took an active role -- collusion, contraction, crony ownership, the 1994-95 work stoppage -- the consequences were not good for the game.

Have we already forgotten about the debilitating 1994 work stoppage, which came around in large part because Bud wanted to cripple the player's union? Have we already forgotten about the 2001 contraction announcement, made merely days after the end of one of the greatest World Series of all time, and the damage that did to the fan base in Minnesota and Montreal? Have we forgotten about Bud allowing Loria to run the Expos into the ground in the early 2000s (coke to John Northey)? Have we forgotten about Bud dismantling the office of league president and introducing interleague play, which has damaged the popularity of both the All Star Game and the World Series? Have we forgotten about the moronic way the 2002 All Star Game ended?

Don't forget that Selig also set himself up as the ultimate arbiter of who would be permitted to own a major league team, with disastrous results. In addition to bending over backwards to allow Loria's continuing infection, he also was directly responsible for ownership fiascos with the Dodgers and Astros.

There is great joy in knowing that crybaby Joey will probably live long enough to see Clemens/Bonds make it into the HOF .
Since he'll probably poop his pants in anger, I hope (for his sake) he's already required by the home to wear adult diapers most of the time.

Selig's # 1 job was to make his fellow owners money - he did this well (how much he can take credit for is a topic for discussion).

His # 2 job as Commissioner was to be the public face of the game as its CEO, which he could not accomplish. He only turned up when things went wrong and was not in front of the curve with positive promotions or events.

It is odd, as I have communicated with him numerous times over the years and he can be charming and open when it comes to the soul of the game.

Have we forgotten about Bud dismantling the office of league president

Can someone please explain to me why some people seem to think it's a big deal that league presidents don't exist any longer? It gets brought up occasionally as some horrible crime against the game but seems to me to be an utterly irrelevant thing. MLB is a single cohesive entity these days and wouldn't make much sense to be otherwise, there's no point in having separate league presidents who would have no real power over anything anyway.

Don't forget that Selig also set himself up as the ultimate arbiter of who would be permitted to own a major league team, with disastrous results. In addition to bending over backwards to allow Loria's continuing infection, he also was directly responsible for ownership fiascos with the Dodgers and Astros.

To a lesser extent, the Royals too. He rejected Miles Prentice's much larger bid in favor of David Glass (and later rejected Prentice for the Red Sox in favor of John Henry).

How was Bud responsible for the Astros ownership situation and is it necessarily a fiasco or a team rebuilding?

He let the Expos move to Washington, but don't forget, Bud was Commish when MLB blocked the Giants moving to Tampa Bay.

Can someone please explain to me why some people seem to think it's a big deal that league presidents don't exist any longer?

While I wouldn't call the end of the league presidencies a horrible crime, there was a profound charm to baseball's highly distinctive leagues when compared to the rather anonymous 'conferences' of other sports.*

There was a time when the leagues had different umpires, when trading players between teams in different leagues required them to pass through waivers, and they even used balls from different manufacturers. The reason there is no DH in the NL is a product of this era, and the subsequent inability of the leagues to achieve common ground on this matter. The result is quite apparent in statistics from the olden days.

Having separate league executives reinforced this notion, and symbolised how the commissioner was not the CEO of MLB, but the highest official of Organised Baseball, arbitrator of disputes between leagues, whether major or minor. There are obvious problems of efficiency with such a leadership structure, especially once common negotiating efforts such as for national television rights or with the players' association are needed.

On the other hand, less concentrated executive authority makes it more difficult for the mistaken judgement of one person to create a mess that might take years to recover from.

The rot really set in with Ueberroth. He came to office full of p--s and vinegar, determined to bring his commercial efficiency to a dilapidated structure dominated by the jealousies of petty barons. The result was collusion and a failure of his attempt to enforce a uniform DH policy on both leagues. The fact that he was followed by Giamatti, a much more retiring figure with a labour hardliner reputation, and who actually liked baseball, is telling.
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* Having said that, it is my impression that the AFC and NFC retained their personalities for quite a long time. I don't think they really faded until the 1990s.

The elimination of the league presidencies was not a problem in and of itself, but symbolic of the destruction of the distinct and separate leagues that many of us found appealing.

True. The League Presidents were representative of the long era when the leagues were as much rivals as partners. Not sure how much credit Selig should get for the more unified MLB configuration, but perhaps it took a man of no fixed principle to ease the transition.

Why would Selig need a loan? Surely he could just steal more money from the Yankees for his slush fund, if it ever ran dry.

Sadly this was before Bud was able to establish his slush fund - the pervasive creep of his socialist schemes hadn't reached the point where such an obvious scam was presentable. Fortunately he was able to repay Twin's owner Carl Pohlad's chicanery and discretion by lavishing hundreds of millions of unearned dollars into his vaults, so really everyone wins.

The leagues did this for a very short time. After a few years one ball manufacturer bought the other one out and they made all the balls in the same factory but simply put different names on the balls.

I think people picturing 30 ballparks fulls of fans booing Bud Selig are being a bit delusional. Sure, he should probably wear a false mustache and take off his wig if he's ever in Montreal but other than that? Most people like interleague play and I have a hard time imagining people working up much ire over a work stoppage 20 years ago or an exhibition baseball game ending in a weird manner more than a decade ago.

Aren't Commissioners booed in every sport? I don't think baseball would be much different. I don't think people think "hey there's the great guy that instituted interleague play," they think "hey, there's an authority figure that is probably screwing my teams somehow."

Aren't Commissioners booed in every sport? I don't think baseball would be much different. I don't think people think "hey there's the great guy that instituted interleague play," they think "hey, there's an authority figure that is probably screwing my teams somehow."

I think most people don't care about interleague play. Nobody gets all excited because an NL teams plays an AL team. People get excited for two things. A good game and or their favorite team playing a good team.

That's a fair point. I don't really watch the other "Big 3" so I wasn't aware to the extent of how much those guys are booed. I'll amend my comment to say that if Bud Selig does get booed it'll be by people, like you say, thinking "hey, there's an authority figure that (has) probably screw(ed) my teams somehow" rather than "I'll NEVER forgive him for disbanding the league offices and ending the 2002 all-star game in a tie!"

Yea, I think that's accurate. I think there may be some residual blame from older fans putting the labor stoppage on him, but I don't think Bud is as hated by the general baseball fan population as he is here. But I wouldn't go as far to say the average fan likes Bud. I'm not even sure Bud's friends and family like Bud.

I will say that interleague play has created an Angels-Dodgers rivalry to an extent. At thr same time, I think the Angels semi-recent success helped as well. Prior to '02, I think most Dodger fans kind of rooted for the Angels. Heck, I liked watching those late 90s, early 00's Angels better than the Dodgers because the Angels were more interesting. Salmon, Erstad, Edmonds, Percy, Anderson, Glaus, etc were all homegrown guys that were really good players.

Of course, most Angels fans at the same time hated the Dodgers and still do. I still think the rivalvry is one sided. We have the Giants and the Angels rivals seem to kind of change every couple of years.

Bud will always get a negative strike for not having the Dodgers involved in the celebration of Jackie's 50th anniversary of his first game.

How was Bud responsible for the Astros ownership situation and is it necessarily a fiasco or a team rebuilding?

I honestly don't know much more about it other than what I've read here, but there were stories that the Crane group was drastically undercapitalized. You'd think that'd be the first thing they'd want to avoid in a new owner.

The steps they've taken may just be a result of a complete rebuild, but they are certainly consistent with being hopelessly broke, as well.

I'd say MLB's last Commissioner was Fay Vincent but I'm not even sure that's accurate. Might have to go further back than that to find someone who wasn't wholly bought and paid for by the owners. Maybe Happy Chandler? Saw how well that worked out. They booted him out after one term. That's what he got for forcing integration.

Bud has only ever been an owner representing only the interests of the owners and nothing else. Nothing to celebrate here.

I don't think Bud is as hated by the general baseball fan population as he is here.

The average baseball fan is an imbecile. Fortunately, most of them don't know how to access this website but we do get exceptions on occasion. Like anyone who ever disagrees with me. :)

How was Bud responsible for the Astros ownership situation and is it necessarily a fiasco or a team rebuilding?

I honestly don't know much more about it other than what I've read here, but there were stories that the Crane group was drastically undercapitalized. You'd think that'd be the first thing they'd want to avoid in a new owner.